STIIM, System for Thermal Seed Treatment, an Integrated Approach to Implementation and Management in the EU Seed Industry

Summary

Background and aims of the project
ThermoSeed™ is a new cost-effective treatment concept developed by Acanova AB that permits environmentally friendly sanitation of seed from seed-borne diseases using hot, humid air. SvL, the Swedish Farmers Supply and Crop Marketing Association, has been granted financiation from the EU-Life environment programme (under “Clean Technologies”) in order to introduce the ThermoSeed™ concept on full scale on the seed treatment market together with Acanova. The acronym of the project is STIIM: “System for Thermal Seed Treatment – an Integrated Approach to Implementation and Management in the EU Seed Industry”. In the project, Acanova and SvL will build a full-scale treatment system in one of SvL:s seed treatment plants and routines for seed sampling and quality insurance will be established. SUK, the Swedish seed certification authority, is inspecting the full-scale investigations within the seed certification system. The treatment system is planned to be operating commercially during 2005.
Background of the concept ThermoSeed™
Chemical seed dressing is today the dominating method for control of seed-borne diseases. Both for environmental reasons and for the protection of labour from exposure to chemicals it is desirable to reduce the use of chemically treated seed. With the ThermoSeed™ concept this use could be considerably reduced. The basic principle of the method is that the seed-borne diseases have a lower heat tolerance than the seed itself, which therefore can be successfully sanitized without affecting germinability. The treatment is performed using hot, humid air that is minutely controlled by a modern computer control system.
The ThermoSeed™ concept is patented and it gives a good sanitation effect against most cereal seed-borne diseases. After the treatment the seed is sanitized from infection, it has full germinability and low moisture content. The good treatment effects have been confirmed in field, greenhouse and laboratory tests during many years, primarily in Sweden, but also in Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria and Italy. However, the sanitation effect is not satisfactory for diseases situated deeply in the seed. This is relevant for loose smut (Ustilago nuda, Ustilago tritici) in barley and wheat, where the infection is situated within the seed embryo.
The ThermoSeed™ concept is competitive against chemical seed treatment both concerning sanitation effect and total treatment cost. The concept is therefore interesting for both organic and conventional farming.
Participants
SvL is the benificiary of the project. Acanova AB, the company that develops the ThermoSeed™ technology, is SvL:s project partner.